Joseph Clark will never forget his first Gay Days.
“Just getting off the (monorail) and seeing the sea of red shirts, to this day it gives me goosebumps,” he recalled of the annual Pride event at Walt Disney World and other Orlando-area venues, which is neither sponsored by nor exclusive to Disney.
Back in 2008, Clark was a regular attendee who made his own red shirt with friends. Now CEO of GayDays.com, he explained the idea is to “wear red, be seen,” not so much as a demonstration but a celebration of identity.
“It was just a whole group of people together, and there was no judgment going on,” he said. “There was no ‘Oh my God, they’re gay.’ Like yep, most of us were, or we had friends and allies with us that weren’t, who were just welcoming to the community. … It was life-changing for me.”
Here’s what to know about the annual LGBTQ+ gathering in Florida.
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How did Gay Days get started?
Gay Days Orlando started three decades ago with a group of friends who decided to meet up at Disney World in red shirts. It has since ballooned into an annual, multiday event, which draws upwards of 180,000 people to the Orlando area from across the world.
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When are Gay Days 2023?
Gay Days Orlando runs from May 31 through June 4 this year. Dates vary by year, but always fall in early June and are announced annually on the event’s website.
What are red shirt days? What day is red shirt day?
Arguably the most prominent part of Gay Days, red shirt days are when participants wear red shirts to specific parks to celebrate their identity or support others. They’re like casual meet-ups, without formal events or mandatory socializing.
“It is just nothing but welcoming, people having fun in the parks, enjoying their best Disney life,” Clark said.
The first Saturday in June is traditionally red shirt day at Magic Kingdom, but there are other red shirt days at different parks. For instance, June 1 is a red shirt day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and SeaWorld Orlando and June 2 is a red shirt day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure.
Who attends Gay Days?
Gay Days are open to everyone under the LGBTQ+ umbrella as well as allies.
“The guests at our events and during our events, they are 100% welcoming to everybody,” Clark said. “They’re just looking to have a fun time. I joke around that what I do for a living is throwing a big party for everybody.”
How much does Gay Days cost?
People taking part in red shirt days at theme parks just have to pay for their park admission. Remember, Disney World requires park reservations in addition to tickets.
Other activities vary in price. GayDays Drag Bingo costs $15 in advance and $25 at the door. Pool parties start at $30 in advance and $35 at the door, and bundle pricing is also available. The Taste of GayDays food and wine event starts costs $40 in advance and $50 at the door. The Beach Ball at Aquatica Orlando costs $90. Additional events and details can be found on Gay Days Orlando’s calendar.
What is there to do at Gay Days?
Many Gay Days attendees visit theme parks, but there are a host of other activities including popular pool parties, Drag Bingo, expos and more at the event’s host hotel in Orlando. This year, there will also be a new Beach Ball waterpark party at Aquatica Orlando, which is an event sponsor.
“You know, it’s Orlando, Florida,” Clark said. “There’s plenty to do for everybody.”
Are Gay Days family-friendly?
Some events are adults-only, but most are open to all ages, including the Miss GayDays pageant, which this year will be hosted by CoCo Montrese, who competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and Miss GayDays 2019 Twila Holiday.
Clark actually compares the event to a family reunion, specifically “the family that gets along reunion.”
Are there any concerns about having Gay Days in Florida this year?
Given the political climate in the state and last year’s enactment of what critics call Florida’s Don’t Say Gay law restricting discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in primary schools, Clark said some people have asked him if this year’s event would still happen.
“My message back to them is ‘Yes, of course we’re still going on.’ One thing we can’t do is go back in the closet and hide from everything,” he said. “We’ve always had controversy and always had people that didn’t want our event to happen, but in 30 years, it hasn’t stopped it from happening. And it’s only gotten bigger and it is going to continue to grow. And I think the biggest thing that we can do is really show people that we’re here. It’s the mantra we’re here, we’re queer, right? Otherwise they win, and that’s not a battle we want to lose.”
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